Sahara Bank SWIFT/BIC code

SABKLYLX – the SWIFT/BIC code of Sahara Bank

The short code SABKLYLX and the full code SABKLYLXXXX identify one and the same institution: Sahara Bank, with its head office in Tripoli. A BIC does one job: it ensures that money from abroad reaches the right bank. In practice you usually see it on international invoices, in payment forms and on the account details of Sahara Bank customers.

This page is meant to help people who sends money to an account at Sahara Bank. A SWIFT code identifies a bank or branch, not a specific account; the IBAN or account number does that.

Tracking a transfer to or from Sahara Bank

A SWIFT payment typically needs anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Payments made after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often start the next business day. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments may also cause a delay, even when all details are correct.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi. Each gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services often show tracking online showing how far the payment is.

The bank that sent the money is able to request a trace. As a recipient, it helps to look at your account to see a partial amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Watch out for payment fraud

One of the most common tricks works like this: an email arrives with a request claiming that a company has new bank details. A real SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account.

Before paying, verify a change of bank details through a phone call. Urgency and requests to keep it quiet are red flags – a real supplier can wait a day. Acted too fast? Call the bank you paid from straight away and ask them to start a recall and report the fraud.

People receiving money are targeted too: a classic trick is an overpayment followed by a request to send back the difference. Wait until the money is actually in your account – ask Sahara Bank if something looks wrong.

Getting paid from abroad into a Sahara Bank account

If you are waiting for money from abroad, give the sender all details at once. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, SWIFT code SABKLYLXXXX and your address, which some banks require.

Their bank may request the bank address of Sahara Bank. Check each detail before you send them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

What lands in your account is often lower than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

International transfers from Sahara Bank: the real cost

When you send money to another country through Sahara Bank, the fee you see is rarely all of the cost. On top of the transfer fee, banks in between may deduct a fee, and when currencies are converted, the bank usually applies a rate below the actual market rate.

Banks do not list the margin on the rate separately, but you pay it all the same. A simple test: set the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialised transfer providers frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate. GoldexPay compares these services next to each other, showing what actually arrives. You can still keep your account at Sahara Bank as the source of the money; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

This directory draws on public sources and is updated regularly. Institutions merge, close branches and change codes. Figures such as the number of codes are from our directory and may differ from what Sahara Bank publishes.

For a payment that matters, confirm the BIC with Sahara Bank or with the recipient. GoldexPay is a comparison service and not part of Sahara Bank. Found an error? Let us know through the contact page and we will look into it.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Sahara Bank

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient. If the code you have does not match SABKLYLX or SABKLYLXXXX, do not guess – contact the recipient or Sahara Bank.

If the code is wrong, the payment may get stuck, be returned or cost extra. Remember the account number: a mistake there is harder to undo than a wrong BIC.

A validity check by your bank only tells you that the code exists. Where available, a name check before sending adds extra certainty. A small test payment can be worth it for large sums despite the extra fee.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of Sahara Bank

Sahara Bank has 2 separate SWIFT/BIC codes across 2 cities. Only one is the head office code, SABKLYLXXXX; the rest belong to branches or departments.

Usually there is no need to look up a branch: payments sent to SABKLYLXXXX are routed within Sahara Bank correctly. A branch code only makes sense when the recipient’s bank explicitly mentions it, which is more common for corporate accounts and trade services.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes can change over time, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Why Sahara Bank has an 8- and an 11-character code

The layout of every SWIFT code is always the same: four characters for the institution, two for the country and a two-character location code, sometimes followed by a branch code. In this case, the 8-character core is SABKLYLX.

The full version adds three more characters that identify a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, the code points to the head office.

Leave out spaces, dots when you type SABKLYLX; the code is always written in one block. Look out for O versus 0 and the letter I and the digit 1; they are easy to mix up.